Tourism
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The huge Meidane-e Shah, The Royal Square
of Shah Abbas the Great, was
designed as the focal point of his capital Esfahan. Photo taken from the
Ali Qapu,
a palace which Shah Abbas and his successors, often accompanied by ambassadors
from
European courts, would use as as a grandstand to watch military parades and
polo matches.
Iran has been a magnet for tourists since the days of Marco Polo and its position as a land bridge between Asia Minor and Asia proper make it an essential point of transit or sojourn for thousands of world travellers every year.
The touristic attractions of Iran are many and varied. The historical monuments are the most important, but the varied climate conditions are good for skiing for almost six months and for swimming all the year round, beautiful natural scenery and unique shopping opportunities are further attractions.
Most tourists visited Shiraz, Persepolis, Esfahan and the Caspian coast, and of course Tehran, the main point of arrival for air travellers. The capital is rich in palaces and museums (Golestan Palace, Marble Palace, Archaeological Museum, the fabulous Crown Jewels Collection -and the Shahyad Monument, to name a few) and had excellent facilities for shopping (particularly carpet shops and the covered bazaar), eating out, sport and entertainment.
Esfahan is the country's architectural showpiece, (Shah, Jam'e and Sheikh Lotfollah mosques, Ali Qapu and Chehel Sotun palaces, Chahar Bagh madrassah etc.,) and Shiraz is famous for its poetic atmosphere (tombs of Saadi and Hafez) and the glories of nearby Persepolis, Naqsh-e Rostam and Pasargadae. Bul almost in every place in Iran there is something beautiful or exciting to see, and much to do. The Caspian Sea regin in the seventies was fast catching on as a tourist region. In addition to the beautiful beaches, there were half a dozen forest parks with wildlife reserves.
Tourist affairs were supervised by the Ministry of Information and Tourism, which trained and supervised guides, published maps and brochures and coordinated the activities of other Government agencies concerned with tourism. Through an affiliated company, the Ministry operated a large network of small modern and comfortable inns, most of which were located in areas where existing accommodation were previously inadequate. Iran Air, the national airline, was also in the domestic hotel business and had a slogan "a bed on the ground for every seat in the sky." Apart from its direct involvement, the Ministry was also the channel for attracting loans to the private sector for hotel construction, and most of the major hotel developments of recent years have been at least partially financed by such funds.
Despite the importance attached to foreign tourists, both as a source of foreign exchange and for the role they play in day-to-day cultural exchange throughout the country, the Government specially concerned at the time with "Irangardi", or domestic tourism. Most touristic developments, particularly in the provinces, were made with the domestic tourist in mind, although foreign tourists were always more than welcome welcome.
Related Topics:
Shrine of Sheikh Gilani, a celebrated 15th
century mystic,
with the fertile Gilan plain and Caspian sea in the
background